Curtain for cabinets, desks, &amp; c.



Patented May 5 I900.

P. .1. PAULY, In. CURTAIN FOR CABINETS, DESKS, 8w.

(Application filed Mar. 15, 1900.)

(No Model.)

ma NORRIS versus cow. mmo-urna, msnmsmn, n, c.

UNrrnio STATES ATENT FFICE.

PETER J. IAULY, JR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE ART METALCONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF JAMESTOlVN, NElV YORK.

CURTAIN FOR CABINETS, DESKS, 81.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 649,705, dated May 15,1900.

Application filed March 15, 1900. Serial No. 8,821. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER J. PAULY, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri,have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Curtains for Cabinets, Desks, and theLike, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in flexible curtains forcabinets, roller-top desks, and the like; and it consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts more fully set forth in thespecification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet, showing myinvention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an end view of the curtain, showinga number of slats coupled together. Fig. 3 is a plan of the under sideof the curtain, parts being broken away. Fig. 4 is a plan of the outsideof one of the slats. Fig. 5 is a plan of the hinge-strip broken away,showing the tongues before they have been deflected. Fig. 6 is a similarview taken from the under side of the stripthat is to say, the sideturned toward the slats. Fig. 7 is an under side View of two juxtaposedslats partly broken away, the hinge-strip being removed. Fig. 8 is anenlarged end View of one hinge-strip and the ends of two slats coupledthereto; and Fig. 9 is an under side View of Fig. 8, the parts beingbroken away.

The object of my invention is to construct a flexible metallic curtainfor cabinets, desks, and the like, composed of a series of juxtaposedmetallic slats which shall take the place of the prevailing woodencurtains composed of flexible jointed wooden strips or slats well knownin the art. By the use of metallic slats the curtain may be made moredurable, less liable to warp, less afiected by moisture or changes intemperature, and, on the whole, it presents a more desirable and asuperior article.

In detail the invention may be described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, I I represent the substantially-plane facesof the metallic slats of which my curtain is composed, the medialportion of each slat having the inwardly-im clined or rentrant faces 2 2and the outer portion having the diverging but inwardlyinclined faces 33, which terminate in the inward longitudinal folds or wings 4 4,disposed in substantially the same plane. The width of the faces 1 1 andthe distance between the outer edges of the faces 2 2 are substantiallyequal, and the faces 3 3 are substantially the same dimensions as eitherof the faces 2 2, so that when a series of slats are jointed togetherthe outer surfaces of the slats, collectively forming the curtain,appear to be built up of a series of strips of uniform width. Theadjacent longitudinal edges of any two contiguous slats will of coursehave their marginal folds or wings 4 4 diverge in opposite directions,and each pair of such diverging folds is embraced by and interlockedwith the inwardly turned or deflected folds of a hingestrip 5. The foldsof the hinge-strip are designated by the numeral 6 in the drawings, and,as clearly shown, they embrace or are folded overthe contiguous wings 44 of each adjacent pair of slats. To retain the hingestrip againstlongitudinal displacement after the same is once in place, I provide theterminals thereof with tongues 7 7 on either side of the longitudinalcenter thereof and clench the said tongues over the interlocked-folds 4and 6, and in order to make the tongues when once bent or clenched tocome flush with the ends of the slats I incise each fold 4 along theline of fold a distance represented by the shoulder 8-that is, to adepth equal substantially to the thickness of the metal of the tongues.The body of the hinge-strip 5 is therefore shorter than the outer slatby a length equal to twice the depth of the shoulder 8, so that when theterminal tongues 7 7 are deflected and clenched into place the combinedlength of the body of the strip and the thickness of the tongues at eachend will be equal to the full length of the slat.

Each hinge-strip 5 is outwardly concave, as shown, the object of thisconstruction be ing to enable the curtain to conform to the curvaturesof the roller 9, (shown dotted in Fig. 2,) over which it passes infolding around a corner, as would be the case on a cabinet such asrepresented in Fig. 1. The strip 5, as is obvious, acts as a hinge-pin,the slats having apivotal connection about the folds of the same, as isclearly seen in Fig. 2,where in passing over the roller 9 the surfacesof the folds 6 and the faces 3 fold over one a11- other, the outer edgeof the fold 6 serving as 'a hinge-line for the wing 4 of the slat.

posed slats having inwardly-deflected folds or wings formed along theiropposite longitudinal edges, and a hinge-strip having inwardly-defiectedfolds embracing the adjacent wings of each pair of slats, substantiallyas set forth.

2. A curtain comprising a series of juxtaposed slats havinginwardly-deflected folds or wings formed along their oppositelongitudinal edges, and a hinge-strip having inwardly-deflected foldsembracing the adjacent wings of each pair of slats and forming a hingeconnection between said slats, substantially as set forth.

3. A curtain comprising a series of juxtaposed slats havinginwardly-deflected folds or Wings formed along their oppositelongitudinal edges, and a longitudinally-concave hinge-strip havinginwardly-deflected marginal folds embracing the adjacent wings of eachpair of slats, substantially as set forth.

.4. A curtain comprising a series of juxtaposed slats each having twosubstantiallyplane faces, two medial reentrant faces, outer inclinedfaces, and marginal inwardly-defiected longitudinal folds or wings, alongitudinally-concave hinge-strip having inwardlydefiected marginalfolds embracing the adjacent wings of each pair of slats, terminaltongues formed with the hinge strip and clenched or folded over theinterlocked folds of the slats and hinge-strips, the ends of the wingsof the slats being cut or incised along the line of fold a depth equalsubstantially to the thickness of the tongues whereby the latter whenfolded over the parts specified shall be substantially flush with theends of the slats, substantially as set forth.

5. A curtain comprising a series of juxtaposed slats havinginwardlydeflected marginal folds or wings, a hinge strip having invwardly-deflected folds embracing the adjacent wings of each pair ofslats, and terminal tongues clenched over the ends of the folds andwings respectively, substantially as set forth.

6. A curtain comprising a series of juxtaposed slats havinginwardly-deflected marginal folds or wings, a hinge-strip havinginwardly-deflected folds embracing the adjacent wings of each pair ofslats, and means for retaining the strip against longitudinaldisplacement, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER J. PAULY, JR.

\Vitnesses:

EMIL STAREK, G. L. BELFRY.

